The Easiest Road

Driver's Ed • Holiday Driving Made Easy

The holiday season is upon us! The weather is getting colder and folks are thinking about pumpkin-spiced lattes, comfy sweaters, delicious food, and traveling to see family. Regardless of what you are celebrating between harvest-time and New Year, take these tips along to make sure your holidays remain joyous and free of driving-caused headaches!

Fallen Leaves

Here in New England we have these wonderful things called trees – a lot of them. With many of them changing colors and dropping their foliage practically everywhere, it’s good to know as drivers just what they mean when they get in and around the road.

Don’t get us wrong, a single leaf or even a layer of them don’t require a second thought, but: DON’T PARK IN OR ON TOP OF LARGE PILES OF DRY LEAVES.

This is a severe fire hazard.

Your car runs on controlled explosions. That means fire. Fire is hot. Add hot to a pile of combustible dry leaves and… you get the picture. Don’t be someone they tell stories about - after leaving your car running to dash inside your house for a sandwich, you might come back to find Ol’ Reliable engulfed in flames. Bummer.

Leaves can also pose a threat if they are soaked. Just like a banana peel in those cartoons, when in large numbers wet leaves can reduce traction and make your car slip and slide all over the road. Keep an eye out for large concentrations of these tree droppings no matter the weather, and stay safe.

Holiday Traffic

Traffic is something so preventable that it’s lamentable, but it’s most likely not going anywhere while the majority of vehicles are driven by people. Holiday traffic is something you’ll contend with if you travel at all during the holiday season, so here are some quick tips to make it through unscathed:

Keep cool - Road rage is a killer, and getting worked up about hitting some traffic is just plainly silly. Realize that everyone is stuck in the traffic together and take a couple of deep breaths.

Keep your distance - Keep a minimum of three seconds between you and the car in front of you when you’re moving, and when you’re in a dead stop make sure you can see the bumper of the car in front of you. When stopped behind a large truck, put even more distance between the two of you.

Party Parking

Wonder why here at the Next Street we teach new drivers how to parallel park in driver's ed? This is a great example! When families have parties often there is glut of cars that your aunt’s, uncle’s, or grandparents’ house driveway can’t handle. Parking on lawns and on the street is a given, and making the most of space is vital.

Remember, practice makes perfect, and the holidays are a great time to show off these skills to your family!

PRO TIP!

The holidays for many folks are times of celebration, food, and revelry. Remember to be responsible. Never drive drunk or high, and never get into a car with a driver who has been drinking or using intoxicants. Keep a sharp eye out for such drivers while out on the roads during the holidays and given them a wide berth.

Drive safe out there!

The holidays are right around the corner and people are looking for meaningful, useful gifts. What could be better than giving the gift of freedom on the open road. The Next Street has gift certificates for any of our driver's ed programs. They can be used at any of our locations and never expire!

All-Star Driver is now The Next Street. We changed our name to put the high beams on how we’re revolutionizing driver’s education – where getting your license is as fast and as fun as the law allows. By training 10,000 more students each year than any other driver’s ed option in the state, by offering thousands of classes at 70+ classroom locations, and by featuring the only customer service center of any school in CT – The Next Street is The Best Driving School in Connecticut.